Going Wireless?

by Jules Harrell

It started innocently enough. I was introduced to a small Macintosh computer in 1989 on which I would write my first novel. The electric typewriter got tossed and I marveled at the amazing Mac's powers, especially that fabulous delete key.

We moved East in 1994, which is when the real electronic addiction began. A student at RPI, I was to spend up to 40 hours per week in the Mac Lab to complete my degree, and gads! I was forced to use email for the first time, literally against my will, to download my class assignments. As I sat uncomfortable and pregnant in the Mac Lab, surrounded by 20 flickering screens and untold EMF waves, I knew this was not the life for me.

Destiny had other plans. Within a year, I was a webmaster and parked with my infant in her sling in front of my own, bigger Mac at home. Email was, by then, my middle name but I still didn't have a cell phone. That was coming. First there was the pager.

As a newly single mom, I carried a pager to retain contact with my daughter. That worked for a while but as she grew older I rationalized that I should have a cell phone so she could call me directly. I still felt very sick around large doses of EMF of any type, so I positioned myself at work as far away from the large server arrays as possible. We upgraded to DSL at home and began using portable phones, also wireless, in the house.

This ad has been seen 209,666 times

My email and information addiction steadily grew to gargantuan proportions. To feed the beast, we added a router to our modem, and I got a wireless card installed in my computer. Suddenly, we had Wi-Fi radiation transmitting to every room in the house, and we never turned the modem off or unplugged the router.

Here's the strange part of my story: you'd think as an always-question-authority, science-writing, healthy, active vegetarian, I would know better. Then there's the research. I write for an online industry trade website, so far having written a total of 143 articles, gleaned from at least 500 news sources, all related to wireless technology. After carefully scouring through a ridiculous amount of articles every month for something newsworthy, I have come to the conclusion that we as individuals are helplessly embroiled in a huge morass of EMF, radio frequencies, and microwaves. Are they dangerous? In my opinion, of course they are!

There are all kinds of studies that say cell phones in particular and Wi-Fi in general is safe, or that dangers are unfounded, etc, but take a look at what's happening in Germany. Unlike most European countries, Germany's Federal Office for Radiation Protection has called for caution. Florian Emrich, a spokesperson for the Office, says wireless technology should be avoided "... because it is a new technology and all the research into its health effects has not yet been carried out." The Office recommends landlines rather than mobile phones, and avoiding electric blankets and other items that increase "electro-smog." The industry, like any strong entity, has rallied, and companies have sprung up to soothe the fears of radiation poisoning, offering protective devices to shield users from harmful effects. Fortunately for us, one of our local Coop shoppers owns a warehouse/storefront located at 809 Madison Ave in Albany NY. He offers products that protect against harmful EMF and wireless radiation.

All you have to do is google "Wi-Fi danger" and you can find out more than you ever wanted to know about this technology. If we are to believe that a country such as Germany may have knowledge that we don't have, what can we do to mitigate our exposure? I wouldn't presume to advise anyone so I'll simply tell you instead what we do in my household.

After a long and heated debate with my loving husband, who has absolutely no fear of anything wireless, walks around with his phone glued to his ear and has said he'd be happy to get chipped, we made some changes around the house. These changes are as follows:

Turn off the modem, attached to the router, when the computers are not in use (reduce Wi-Fi).

Turn off the power strips to computers, stereo, TV, etc. (EMF).

Do not sleep next to electronic appliances (EMF).

Leave the microwave in the basement (radiation).

Use the speaker option on mobile phones in the house, and on the cell phone when traveling (radiation).

Use only LCD screens instead of CRT on TVs and laptops (radiation).

Bury electric cables underground (EMF).

Do not live near transformers or cell towers (radiation).

Shop at Honest Weight all the time (increase joy)

As wireless users, we are still at risk. How shall we as a species survive the increasing onslaught of EMF, radio frequency radiation and microwaves? I wish I had the answers to that question, as it applies to many other issues that confront us today. My thoughts for you are to educate yourself, take safeguards and precautions, go outside, stretch your body, hug your loved ones, help an animal, live green and be happy. Om Shanti.